Heal Thy Wounds
by Hannurdock
Summary: A young mutant with the power to heal is at risk of being hurt by mutant haters.


  
Part 1: Discovery   
  
Katrina paced the polished white tiled floor in the kitchen worriedly. She could hear the angry voices of her parents in deep arguament over an issue she could not control. Finally, exhausting herself totally, she shrank into the furthest corner, blocking the sounds of the voices with her hands covering her ears. She began to sob. This was happening to her, but it felt like a dream.   
  
Katrina's thought's wandered back to a few days ago, when she had discovered she was unlike the other teenagers in her class at school.   
  
  
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The bullet whistled past the schoolroom door, and a young teacher called Denice motioned the children to get under their desks immediately.   
  
"What's happened, Miss?" Charles asked worriedly, trying to see over his desk.   
  
"Keep down, Charles. Its those damned Friends of Humanity again". Denice swore clenching her teeth. The first school in America to accept mutants without question, and they had become a target.   
  
Katrina prayed silently in the corner. She heard the scream and didn't understand what was happening until she realised her teacher was lying on the floor, gasping for breath. Katrina cried out, and inched her way quickly towards the teacher who was now whitening by the second. She had been shot, Katrina saw the gaping wounds.   
  
A flood of energy surged through her veins, and she pressed her right hand against the teacher's side. A soft yellowish light came from her hand and Katrina gasped as she felt the wound heal itself and the teacher sat up dazed.   
  
"We have to get you out of here" Denice said quickly, realising if the friends of humanity found Katrina, they would have no hesitation in killing her.   
  
The corridor was deathly quiet as Denice ushered Katrina out the back door and told her to run. Run fast, and not to look back. Katrina didn't look back once. However, she could hear the sounds of the Friends of Humanity, their violent and sinister screams of joy as the school exploded into flames.   
  
  
XXXX   
  
  
Katrina felt helpless. Her parents were wondering what they could do with her. She was a mutant. A mutant with a power that could not defend herself or her family if she was attacked. Feeling desperation settle over her, Katrina remembered the heartfelt letter her mother had written to a famous professeur who ran a school for gifted children. If Katrina was accepted, she would not see her parents for a long while.   
  
The doorbell rang, and the argueing parents immediately stopped shouting. Katrina's mother answered the door, and almost in overwhelming relief said "Come in".   
  
Katrina got up slowly, walked across the tiled kitchen floor and watched through a crack in the kitchen door a man sit down down on the couch. He was extremely comfortable with himself, he seemed unafraid of anything. Casually he sniffed the air and then turned to the kitchen door. Katrina took a step back. She had been seen. The man smiled at her and then focused his attention on the parents. He was very strange this man, he reminded her of a wolf and she couldn't resist sneaking another look.   
  
Sucking in her breath, Katrina bravely walked into the livingroom with a sure step. The wolf-like man turned to her and smiled gently. Katrina cast a wary eye over the other strangers in the room. There were two other people besides the wolf-man. One of them was in a wheelchair, and another was a beautiful black women dressed all in white silk. The woman smiled at Katrina, and then introduced the gentleman in the wheelchair as Professeur Charles Xavier.   
  
"Who are you?" Katrina directed the question towards the wolf-like man and the woman in white.   
  
"I am Wolverine, and this is Ororo Monroe ... otherwise known as Storm" Logan answered, his face smiling as Katrina's mouth opened wide in disbelief.   
  
She had realised she was talking to the legendary X-Men.   
  
  
XXXX   
  
  
"The X-Men?" Katrina said in disbelief.   
  
"Yes. We have heard about your extraordinary abilities to heal" Professeur Xavier said gently, gesturing to a seat.   
  
Katrina sat as silently instructed and breathed slightly heavily.   
  
"My ability to heal?" Katrina said distantly. "You make it sound so nice. Its a curse, I wish I had the power to kill people, instead of make them better".   
  
"In some ways your gift is more compelling than a destructive one. The power is not what makes a mutant who they are, but what they do with their power does". Storm said softly. "I have had a 'destructive' power for many years. It did not define who I was, I merely learnt to control it".   
  
"Yes. I can slice people to ribbons if I want to. I don't, becuase its against everything humanity stands for" Logan said equally as gently as Xavier.   
  
"And you? Professeur Xavier, what's your ability?" Katrina asked.   
  
Xavier looked at Katrina sharply. *I can read your thoughts* "You know what my ability is".   
  
"You just read my mind" Katrina said in awe.   
  
*Can you hear me now?*. Professeur Xavier smiled. *Yes you can. What frightens you about us, child?*   
  
Katrina looked at the others, they were curious what thoughts were passing between Xavier and herself. *I didn't want this .... gift. Its made my life a living hell*   
  
*I know. Sometimes life can be very difficult and hard to understand. Do not blame fate on your gifts. It only makes everything harder to bear. Look at us. We are living proof that your gifts can be used to help yourself and mankind. Take us into your hearts and open to me now. Let me read what fears and reservations lie within your mind and put them to sleep forever*.   
  
"Okay" Katrina said aloud, startling the other members of the X-Men momentarily, and her parents jumped a little.   
  
Professeur Xavier closed his eyes and concentrated. Katrina closed her own eyes and felt a rush of energy as Xavier penetrated her thoughts and went into the deepest and darkest secrets in her soul. She felt his spirit in her mind, his very essence surrounding her with comfort and warmth. She felt at peace. Then the aura and spirit lessoned and she once again opened her eyes.   
  
Professeur Xavier was looking at her once more, eyes locked on each other, ignoring everyone else in the room.   
  
*You have nothing to fear. We can help. Come with us, with me to my school where I can teach you to respect what you fear. Your powers can be very great. I'd like to help you accomplish your dreams*. Xavier smiled and held out his hand.   
  
Katrina stared at the hand blankly for a few moments, then leaned forward and shook it.   
  
*Very well* Katrina smiled back, and nodded towards Logan and Ororo, who's expressions were blank. "Okay, lets go".   
  
Storm and Wolverine blinked at each other in astonishment. They had expected some form of resistance. Smiling towards Katrina, they helped her parents pack her clothes and accessories in a small suitcase, then waving goodbye to her parents Katrina got inside the classy Porsche, especially designed for Xavier's wheelchair access and waved goodbye to her parents as they drove away.   
  
  
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To be continued .... 


End file.
